NWO and Groeifonds funding for research into smart light-responsive chips
PHYSICS
Physicists at Leiden University are developing smart chips that can be programmed with light. These chips are more energy-efficient than traditional chips because they do not require a constant power supply. For this research, they will receive funding in the coming years from the Dutch Research Council and the PhotonDelta Growth Fund program.
In total, eighteen research projects in the Netherlands are jointly receiving over €16 million for technological research into photonic chips. These chips work with light particles and are much more energy-efficient, faster, and have greater capacity than (traditional) electronic chips.
Due to the enormous potential of this field, it is one of the ten technologies with priority in the National Technology Strategy (NTS) of the Dutch government. NWO sees photonics as one of the key enabling technologies in the National Technology Strategy and has therefore added over €8 million from NWO’s interest income and the reserves of the Technology Foundation STW to the budget. This is a one-time budget increase.
Light-driven quantum photonics
The research group of Michiel de Dood works on smart chips that can be programmed with light and then no longer require power. They use special materials that can ‘remember’ changes once they are exposed to light. In the future, this technology could be used for sensitive measurement systems and powerful (quantum) computers. The team aims to demonstrate that these new chips work well and can be reprogrammed far more times than currently possible.
Co-applicants in this project are prof. dr. R.P. Sijbesma and dr. G.M.E. Vantomme of Eindhoven University of Technology.
Applications in new photonic technologies
This investment further develops new photonic technologies that will form the basis for applications in medical technology, sustainable AI, and wireless communication.
Read more about the other funded projects in the press release of the Dutch Research Council (in Dutch).